KELCEY LEE:

Chicano and Hispanic theatre is a genre of theatre that involves people of Hispanic background. This has especially peaked around the 1900s in the United States, especially as Puerto Ricans became citizens. Immigration also started to peak around this time, which is why this genre blossomed in this time period. The director, play writer, or actors can be Hispanic. The plays in this genre generally tend to focus on lifestyle in the United States. For example, many plays seem to focus in on the theme of immigration and the struggles that come with it, especially illegal immigration. Many of the works seem to incorporate Spanish in the play as well since plenty of Hispanic people regularly use Spanglish in their daily speech. This is also a way to keep traditions in since it is easier to describe culture and tradition in the plays by using Spanish.These plays can also incorporate other themes in such as romance or feminism as seen in West Side Story or Real Women Have Curves. These plays can also serve to highlight the injustice of the Hispanic community, taking on serious topics such as racism.